Here again the Spirit admonishes the prophet to stop and continue because the people are in godlessness and all too much outward appearance of worship.
V. 1. shout loudly like a trumpet etc. (In gutture). 1)
In Isaiah [Cap. 58, 1.] this figure of speech is, "Lift up thy voice like a trumpet" etc. "Run to, it burns," shout, shout, and the more you are hindered, the more you shout etc. - "Like an eagle." I do not know what this is. What Jerome says is cold and twisted and violent. I [understand it] thus (whether there might be a connection): 2) that thou be a trumpet, and shout over the people, as an eagle over the house of the Lord etc. "I know not what it is, will let it go." 3) The words of a threat are used to be emitted in such a way that something is left out in the speech (per apocope). It is all elliptical. As if to say, "Beware," there is such a great persecution coming that even this holy place will not be spared etc. There will be a king who will be inflamed with such great wrath that he will not spare the house of God in Jerusalem. Of such great wrath is God aroused. -Pro eo or: "therefore." They do not want the good, so they may have the evil, as if he wanted to say: Ephraim "wants to have misfortune", we say: "rings after misfortune". - "And turn aside from my law," namely, by serving idols.
V. 2. [Will they then cry out to me.]
[Instead of invocabunt in the Vulgate] he read: invocant.4 . 4) - "We know you, Israel." The
1) Vulgate: In Zutturo tun sit tudn quasi aquila super ftomum Domini, pro so etc..
2) These brackets are set by us.
3) The following to "ringet nach Unglück" is inserted in the manuscript as an addendum in verse 4. with the remark: 3am [squitur oa. 8 etc., under the same keyword: Huasi Aquila.
4) This is to be regarded as a remark of the postscript. The Weimar edition has drawn this to v. 1,
means we are your people etc. The Lord leads their words 5) etc.
V. 3. Israel rejects the good.
What is it that they call so only with words? etc. But what do they do? They reject the good, they reject what I teach, "reject it", so much is missing that they should hear. They are lies, therefore cry out mightily against this [false] appearance etc.
V. 4. [They set princes, and I must not know
[Instead of: Principes exstiterunt in the Vulgate] better: Principes facti sunt, "have become princes, and I know nothing about it, one king always strangles the other". See in the second book of Kings [Cap. 15, 10. 14. 23. 30.] 6), among five kings none died a bloodless (sicca) death. This refers to the five last kings who inflicted death among themselves. I, God, am the King of this people, and they set kings and princes for themselves; "shall I not also know something about it?" 7) - ["They make kings."] Ipsi regnaverunt; better: they have, become kings without me, they have become princes etc. God wanted this people to be ruled by his word, that's why the prophets were given, but this wanted to "set up" a new way, and they anoint themselves and make themselves kings rc. 8) - "Out of their silver and gold.
while the Erlangen edition already has the second verse begin with the last remark of the previous verse. The Weimar edition, on the other hand, has labeled the next remark, which still belongs to the second verse, with "3.
6) Instead of alloZorat (there is no such word) we have assumed atloZat. ^.HsZorisat would not make sense.
6) The Weimar edition erroneously has "so. 10
7) Here follows in the original the addendum to Cap. 7, 12 that we inserted above. Likewise, the addendum to V. 1 of this chapter that we included at the appropriate place. The Weimar edition has relegated both additions to notes, but the Erlangen edition has left them here.
8) This note, which in any case belongs to the text here, has been relegated to the notes by the Weimar edition, as if it were also a supplement to Cap. 7, 12.
they make idols" etc. [Ut interirent] that is, they seek "that they may perish." 1)
V. 5. Your calf, Samaria, he rejected.
I believe he calls "the calf of Samaria" the calf at BethAven. Note what is said above about Jezreel, the city of Israel. Samaria was the head of the kingdom, where both estates ^the spiritual and the secular were. I do not believe they raised up a new calf. - "He cast out." He prophesies that the kingdom shall be destroyed: That worship and all Samaria, both the kings and the people, "shall all go to the gallows." It is a diminishing speech (tapinosis) in the word "calf". He does not consider it worthy of the name of God, as if he wanted to say: "It will go to the God like you. The God shall recompense them." - "They must be punished." 2) Emundari, that is, to become innocent, blameless, that is, when will it be that they will be without guilt and offense(Ps. 19, 14.: "And remain innocent [emundabor] of great iniquity"), that they will have a good and undefiled reputation etc.? I must be angry' and destroy them, because the iniquity will have no end.
V. 6. the calf (Ipse). 3)
Namely, their God, whom they invented. This God did not make Israel, but Israel made him. He is a creature, not a creator, therefore the creature must perish with the creator. The work of our hands is called an idol [Ps. 115:4]. Everything that we do in that invented and imagined service of God is the work of our hands etc. Free will makes nothing but idols because it wants to act in divine things. God wants to form, not be formed; that is [when God forms,] to be born of God, but here he says: Israel made this God. - "A workmaster." He interprets himself. With contemptuous words
ut intcrircut would be set as a keyword. - The next following note is in Weimar's still drawn to v. 4.
2) Vulgate: Usauccmo non potucrnnt crnunckari?
3) Neither the Erlangen nor the Weimar editions have recognized this "Ipsc" as a new keyword; therefore, both have added the following interpretation consecutively to the fifth verse.
He calls this presumption etc. Their actions and their heart he reproves and punishes, namely the trust in that service of God, which they perform. Where the trust is, there is God, where the treasure is, there is the heart etc. So it is with the cap of the monks, with the fasts etc. The service of God he calls their God. The gold was their worship, so it is their god. - ["Therefore the calf of Samaria shall be pulverized."] 4) [Instead of:] Quoniam etc: he [Luther] read differently: Quum in aranearum. Hebrew it is called shabab [XXXX]. Schabab
"become" 5) like the chips and cuttings of wood, which is refuse, that is, the god of Samaria is Shabab, will become refuse, that is, he will be made into nothing.
V. 7. for they sow wind etc. (Quia ventum etc.)
He [Luther] read differently: Quoniam etc. 6) It is a figurative speech. "Still weather" require both sowing and reaping. "They sow wind," "will also reap storm or tempest." It was perhaps a very general saying among the people. So it can be said of our monks proverbially: they sow wind, they will reap thunderstorms; the fruit of their labor is trembling and trembling of conscience. A foolish work, a ruinous reward or fruit: evil they worship, evil they serve God, therefore they will receive bad reward, that is, your hope will come to shame, according to which you hope to serve God and receive good from God etc., but you will be destroyed. - ["Your seed shall not come up."] Culmus stans, chama [XXX], better: The seed.
on your stalks (eulmi 8taut68), that is, all you fruit will perish.
4) Vulgate: Huoninra in arÄNSurnrn keins crit vitu1ns Lainnrine (for to cobwebs shall the calf of Samaria become). In Luther's Latin translation: läso in krustra ooinrninnstnr vitnlns Lnrrmrine.
5) In the original: were.
6) Here Luther's Latin translation: ^noniurn instead of yniu in the Vulgate. It seems to us conspicuous that both in the previous note and here the same words are repeated after the keyword, namely: Huoninin etc. niitcr IcZit. We assume that the copyist who prepared the Zwickau manuscript inserted these words in the former place by mistake, and therefore they should be deleted there.
expected. And this can be understood figuratively and without image, and best of all in such a way that the Assyrian king will come and take away all the seeds etc. This beautiful picture serves for us etc.
V. 8. Israel will be eaten up.
That is, the king of Assyria will come and devastate and consume everything etc. This is a prophetic word, namely, that it will happen. - "As with an unworthy vessel." An unclean vessel, "as with a Bruuzschirb," 1) a vessel which we hold of no honor. According to the Hebrew it is better given by "a vessel of dishonor"; so Paul calls it sim second letter to Timothy [Cap. 2, 20.].
V. 9. Therefore they run up to Assyria.
That is, they have been guided and forced to go out. - "A wild" onager, "wild ass." Among other characteristics, this one is also very well known, that he lives solitary, as Job says, and loves solitude, far from the servitude of men etc. The wild donkeys are also known for their thirst. He describes the customs of the people etc. And he says another thing: "The Junker" Ephraim is not "my hereditary donkey", but he wants to be free, he does not want to be oppressed by my law etc., but since I am rejected and not taken for God, so they go lonely, and I leave them without pasture etc. - ["Ephraim gives to the wooers."] Munera etc., that is, pay, that is, they leave me, they are gods to themselves, they ally themselves with the heathen, "give money enough," and think that they will stand firm and remain etc. They want to arm themselves with their money. - Sed et cum mercede 2) is not in the text, but so: Even among the heathen etc. - "Booers," he calls the allies with whom they worshipped the idol. 3)
1) In the original: "brunschirb". Compare Tischreden, St. Louis Edition, Vol. XXII, 1700, No. 97: "Brunntzschirbel" (chamber pots).
2) With these words v. 10. begins in the Vulgate. Keck 6t belongs to this keyword. The Erlanger and Weimar editions have it at the end of the preceding note.
3) This note should have preceded the previous one.
V. 10. Now I will gather these same nations over them.
"Will bring them together finely." As many of them join together, I will make "a cake" out of it, "which the Assyrian will eat." - ["They shall grow weary of the burden."] (Quiescent.) The verbum here means to be in need of birth. So it is often in the Psalms [Ps. 29, 9.]: "He arouses the hinds" (conturbat cervas). 4) Likewise Paul, Rom. 8, 22. And they shall be afflicted with the interest and drudgery of princes for a little while longer, namely, until the king of Assyria comes, they shall be afflicted. First they shall drain you with interest, "toiling and estimating, after that" I will also take them away etc., "life and limb." So it also happens to us.
V. 11: For Ephraim has made many altars to sin.
Read like this: He is served by the altars for sinning. The more I preach, the more they set up altars. Not only are you setting up altars for sin, but you are also sinning. And so it comes etc.
V. 12. If I write to him equally much of the law.
[What the Vulgate offers: Scribam ei multiplices leges meas] also this is dark. It should read like this: Even if I write my law to him more often, that is, if I give my name 5) in writing, as it were, I still do not judge anything, but [my laws] are respected by him as foreign.
V. 13. That they now sacrifice much etc.
See the seventh chapter of Jeremiah. "Let me be undone with your sacrifices." You may
4) For Hiphil from ^n, Luther, as can be seen from the meaning he gives, assumed as root word, which is found in the Psalm passage we give and several times. This has caused us to conjicir oe?'uas instead of eerras, which the Erlanger äanslesen from the original, and terrus, which the Weimarsche offers.
5) In our template: si äoseriptuua
ovaniuna bunr, which seems to us to be completely meaningless. Instead of oranium 6um we have assumed^noruen U26UM. This Conjectur receives great probability by what the following writing offers here: ulluä 86mx "6r Nomen iliäunt.
bring me sacrifices, they may sacrifice meat and eat it, but that does not please the Lord. The Lord has nothing to do with the sacrifices, but is concerned that they hear his voice etc. - "But he will remember their iniquity," that they turn to Egypt for help, forsaking their God and trusting in an arm of the flesh.
V. 14. Israel forgets its Creator.
Thus I read. - "So does Judah" etc. Thus must be read, not Judas swhich the Vulgate has^j. - Delubra, "royal houses," churches etc. This is how the Hebrew reads: they build treacherous castles etc. They rely on their own strength to stand etc. But I will take away both the temple and them, "one with the other".